Stairway-ladder.



J. H. ERSKINE. STAIRWAY LADDER. APPLICATION PIILED 001225, 1909.

Patented M21115, 1912.

UNITE srarns PATENT O JOHN HENRY ERSKINE, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

STAIBWAY-LADDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. ERSKINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stairway-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to step ladders and more particularly to step ladders especially constructed to be used on stairways by paper hangers and the like, the object being to provide a step ladder having rear legs formed of upper and lower sections slidably connected together whereby the legs can be easily and quickly adjusted so as to hold the platform of the ladder in a horizontal position.

Another object of my invent-ion is to provide a step ladder in which the rear legs are connected to the ladder proper by braces so that the legs will be held in their proper positions with respect to the ladder'proper.

A further object of my invention is to provide the ladder with a pivoted shelf for supporting a bucket or the like, said shelf being provided with arms adapted to engage one of the steps of the ladder proper for holding the same in a horizontal position.

A stillfurther object of my invention is to provide a ladder which is exceedingly simple and'cheap in construction and one -which is composed of a few parts which are so connected that avery strong and durable ladder is formed.

Still another object of my invention is to provide the upper section of the rear legs with guideways in which the lower section -is mounted, said lower section being also provided with guide members so that the legs will be held together firmly.

VVith'these objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claim and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevationof my improved ladder showing the same in position on a stairway. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. I

In carrying out my improved invention, I employ a ladder proper which is composed of side bars A having grooves in their inner faces .in which are arranged the steps B Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 25, 1909.

Patented Mar. 5 1912. Serial No. 524,483.

which connect the side bars together, said steps being secured in position within the grooves in any suitable way to the grooves, terminating short of the rear edges of the ladder so that the steps will be held therein without any danger oft-he same accidentally working loose and dropping out.

Arranged on the upper end of theladder proper is a platform C which is provided with spaced brackets D arranged in pairs and adapted to receive the upper ends of the .side bars A of the ladder between which said side bars are secured by bolts or rivets as clearly shown at E and these brackets C are cut away as shown at C and extend substantially the whole width of the platform C and are provided with openings through which a shaft or pivot rod F is adapted to pass on which are pivotally mounted between the respective pairs of brackets the rear legs which are formed of upper secit-ions G and lower sections H nected together, the section vided with guide sleeves G adjacent their lower ends which are connected together by "a cross bar Gr and the lower sections H are provided with guide sleeves H which sur- G being proround the legs G so that when the sections tion are formed square so that they will rest smoothly upon the step in a perfect vertical position while the lower ends of the side bar A of the ladder proper are cut off obliquely as clearly shown.

For locking the lower section of the rear legs of the ladder in its adjusted position with respect to the upper section, I provide the guide sleeve G with set screws I which work in threaded bores formed in the guide sleeve and are provided with swiveled plates J adapted to be forced into engagement with the side bars of the lower section of the rear 'legs so as to clamp the same and it will be seen by this construction that itis only neressary to operate the screws to loosen or tighten the plates so as to adjust the rear legs.

Pivotally connected to the upper section of the rear legs are a pair of braces K which extend outwardl and converge and are pivotally .connectec to a pair of converging slidably con-,

properpositions. The

braces L pivotally connected to the side bars of the ladder proper and these respective braces are preferably connected together by a rivet M and one of the braces K is pro vided with a stop lug K for engaging the respective braces'L so as to limit "the down.- ward movement of the braces and it will be seen that by this construction the braces are free to move upwardly so as, to allow the ladder to be folded when desired but are prevented from being moved downwardly past a horizontal position so that when forced into a horizontal position they will be held in that position in order to hold the lugs in their proper positions with respect to the'ladder proper.

Extending through the side bars of the upper section G is a shaft N on which is pivotally mounted a pair of arms P provided with a shelf P and the inner ends of the arms P are reduced and are adapted to fit within grooves Q formed in the upper s p B f r holding the same in a horizontal position and this shelf affords means for supporting a bucket or the like when the same is being used for hanging paper or for cleaning purposes.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

A ladder of the kinddescribed, comprising front and rear sections, the rear section comprising supporting legs formed in upper and lower sections, guide sleeves carried by the upper section, said sleeves being in vertical alineinent and spaced apart, the legs of the lower section being slidable in and adjustably secured in said guide sleeves, and braces pivotally connected to the front section and also pivotally connected to the lowermost guide sleeves.

JOHN HENRY ERSKINE.

Witnesses ARTHUR W. BROWN, J. M. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner'of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

